Woodstock Day 4: Joan Baez

Okay, I know it's not August 4th, but I fell a few days behind. My best friend from home is here and I should not have signed myself up for a project this big while on "vacation." So I'm gonna try to catch up quickly and sort of ignore that the days won't match up for a bit.

But back to Woodstock and today's hot topic: Joan Baez. She was 6 months pregnant during her 1 a.m. performance on August 16th. During her set, she talked about how her husband, David Harris, was arrested and imprisoned for 3 years because of draft-dodging (he also founded an organization that encouraged this behaviour). She was the last to perform on the first day of Woodstock.

Baez in 1963 performing at the March On Washington

Baez was considered the female counterpart of Bob Dylan and was an avid anti-war protester, especially through folk song. Though she does write her own songs, she's considered more of an interpreter of other musicians' works, both of past and present. She really started writing her own songs in the late '60s when her husband Harris turned her on to a more complex country rock style.

Her performance at Woodstock allowed her both a musical and political platform internationally and Baez was able to use her popularity for social protest. She is considered one of the most accomplished interpretive folksinger/songwriter of the 1960s.

Baez is still heavily involved in civil and human rights, gay rights, environmental causes, anti-war protests, and anti-poverty protests. In 2011, she was honored by Amnesty International by having the Joan Baez Award named after her for outstanding inspirational service in the global fight for human rights.